love lies in death
by I'm-Reading
Summary: And he swore to himself he would never love again, because love ends in death. Guy of Gisbourne, his thoughts on Marian's betrayal and death.


It was his last chance. This was a mission sent from hell; it would have been even if it had gone smoothly and this was as far from smooth as could be. But this was his last chance. To kill the king. To obtain all the power he could ever imagine. But before he'd even really entered into the square where the king lay, an arrow protruding from his shoulder, Marian was running down the stairs, past the fallen king and stopping right before she got to him.

"Stop," she said, putting her hands in the air, blue eyes shining with determination, "It's over Guy."

"Get out of the way," he growled. He didn't have time for this. Didn't have time to be distracted by her.

"All this time I've been fighting for England," she said pride and patriotism giving fire to her voice, "Do you think I'm going to let you kill England?"

She was backing away as he stepped forward, towards the king and where he lay on the ground.

"Marian," he cried, desperation making his voice scream, and the sword slash down near her stomach, "get out of the way!"

Her eyes followed the sword, but she didn't move, nor was she cowering in fear. She continued to stand there, her arms spread wide open, her eyes unafraid. He knew that she was blocking his passage to the king, that she was protecting him, and that she had to move otherwise he may never get the chance again, yet all he could think of was how beautiful she looked.

"You'll have to kill me first."

"No," he said, she would not die, "We're going to get out of this. I'm going to do this thing and then I will have power beyond measure. And we _will _be together."

The sword was still pointed at her and they continued to walk towards the king. And yet, a smile crossed her face and a chuckle passed her lips. She was laughing at him. She was laughing _him._

"I would rather _die _than be with you, Guy of Gisborne."

_I would rather die than be with you, Guy of Gisborne._

The words seemed to echo in his head.

"No," he muttered, staring at her unbelieving. She would always be his. She would always be _his_.

A laugh, a breathless smile. Joy at his pain.

"I'm going to marry Robin Hood."

And he saw then that every smile, ever widen of the eyes, every time she had laid a hand on his shoulder, or kissed him, she had been using him. Even when he knew that she was the Nightwatchmen he hadn't believed it. Hadn't believed it when the Sheriff had said it. Hadn't believed it when she'd sat chained in the stables. He hadn't even believed it when she'd offered herself in exchange for the Sheriff's life. He had always hoped, and allowed himself believe that she must have feelings for him. That she felt just a semblance of what he felt for her. But it was a lie. A masquerade. A plan to toy with his feelings, and glean information for the outlaws.

This entire time, she had been laughing at him.

"I love Robin Hood."

"I heard you were once betrothed to Robin Hood," he had said to her the day he had proposed, " Perhaps you still have feelings for him?"

She had stared at him then with defiant eyes.

"I would never marry Robin Hood."

_I am going to marry Robin Hood. _

"I despise Robin Hood."

_I love Robin Hood._

He had suspected her once again once he had discovered that she was the Nightwatchmen, but he would calm his thoughts when he thought of the day she had agreed to marry him. She hates him, he had told himself. She despises him, she would never marry him.

"You better not sleep tonight," she'd said when they'd been lodging at Portsmith, "Robin Hood will find out what you're doing and he will come and he will stop you."

She'd tugged on her chains and glared, but Guy could hear the pride in her voice. He could also hear the words she had left unspoken. _Robin Hood will save me._

"It's Robin Hood's birthday today," Vasey had replied simply, with a sort of vindictive pleasure, "and they're having a party for him down in Nettlestone village."

Marian had just stared and he knew that she knew what was coming. She'd stopped struggling just stared at him with unresponsive eyes.

"And someone invited one hundred of my fiercest mercenaries, and they've, they've got him surrounded, so Robin Hood is no more."

She'd opened her mouth to say more, but nothing came out, and she just stared, as the Sheriff gave her a little smile, as though that was the most delightful news in the world. And he'd thought he'd known then, but he could still remember the look on her face, when she'd said, "I despise Robin Hood." So he had allowed himself to hope, allowed himself to ignore the signs, and hope that she still did feel something for him.

She'd sat there in the stables and stared at him with big eyes just begging to help her, and he'd wanted to. He'd wanted to believe that she had no part with the outlaw. And if she hadn't, maybe there was still chance, maybe he could help her. But if she was with Hood, she was damned as far as he was concerned.

"Robin Hood and Marian?" he'd asked Allan. He was just torturing himself, he knew, but he found that he couldn't stop. He had to know.

"What about them?" Allan had said casually, but Guy could sense the reluctance in his voice, and he wondered briefly whether Allan was under Marian's spell too.

"They still- are they?"

He hadn't been making much sense, but Allan had immediately known what he'd meant.

"Look, even if they were, he's finished right?"

"That's not an answer, Allan," he'd barked, "I need to know."

He'd never answered, and there was never a chance to ask again, because in the morning he was gone. And he'd thought he'd known then. But even then, there was a chance that she was not involved with Hood and he'd clung to that. Clung to her words, when she'd offered to marry him. He would have the girl, he'd told himself. She was his.

"I love Robin Hood," she said again, as if saying it once more would make it final.

Her final betrayal. There was no denying it, there was the proof right in front of him. He could see the truth shining in the light of her eyes. She loved him, as the people of Loxley loved him, even when they should have loved Guy of Gisbourne, their new lord. And no matter what he did, she would never love him. She would always love Hood, as everyone always loved Hood.

And before he'd even really known what he was doing he was lunging forward, his sword outstretched, and it entered into her body with a sickening sound. And her face twisted out of that breathless smile and she was flush against him, only the sword between them. A sob wracked his body, distorting his face. Her head lifted towards him, eyes staring him defiantly in the face, and all he could see in her eyes was her disgust. He let go of the sword with a shaking hand and she collapsed to the ground with a thud.

He gazed down at her and shuddered, not letting the tears escape his eyes just shaking.

And then he heard the cry, "_Marian!_"

And his eyes left her face for a moment and he could see Hood was running towards her. And if he had, had any doubt left in him, it left him. Because Hood's face was tragic, and even thought it was over the death of the women he loved, it gave him a perverse kind of pleasure to see the pain he was causing Hood.

He could not tear his eyes from the two of them, and he let out a short gasp of pain, because he felt like something was tearing at his heart. And Hood's hands were touching her, a hand resting under her head, in her hair, and the other by her stomach and she was looking at him with love in her eyes, and it killed him. He wished that it was him lying there on the soil. Because she had never loved him, had laughed at his feelings for her. The lips and the heart that he had thought belonged only to him belonged to another man.

_I love Robin Hood._

"Gisbourne!" the sheriff cried, and he tore his eyes away from the pair (he refused to think of them as a couple) and turned back to the sheriff.

She was dead. Marian was dead. He had nothing left of her but memories. And even those were tainted. He could still feel the way that the sword had entered her body and as he climbed onto the horse behind the sheriff the tears fell hard and fast from his eyes. He was alone and he was in hell. And he swore to himself he would never love again, because love ends in death.


End file.
